


Dec 15: Master Plan

by kuro49



Series: White Collar Advent calendar drabbles [15]
Category: White Collar
Genre: Gen, White Collar Advent 2014, post series speculations
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-15
Updated: 2014-12-15
Packaged: 2018-03-01 14:20:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 412
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2776175
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kuro49/pseuds/kuro49
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's an old threat, they are old friends.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dec 15: Master Plan

**Author's Note:**

> At this point, I'm just throwing series finale speculations at the ceiling and wondering which one happens to fall back down on my face because: oNE MORE EPISODE OH MY FUCKING GOD.

While Neal looks innocent enough, Peter has to remind himself that Caffrey is anything but. A con is a con is a con. And Peter might want to think Neal Caffrey as a changed man but Neal Caffrey is also the smartest man he knows. Peter has never been naive, but he does want to be hopeful. Four years is not enough to change one man, a decade later and you still shouldn’t think you know someone. Forever, and maybe Neal will finally show him what he is after for all these years.

The fact that Peter has to remind himself of that is indication enough.

Separation anxiety only covers so much.

He doesn’t ease the authority in his voice when he speaks, _states_ , in that way he does that will always have Neal’s eyes gleaming viciously bright.

“Don’t make me throw you back in jail.”

And this is an old threat, one that hangs over every other conversation even with their handler-CI arrangement a thing of the past. 

Neal Caffrey stands, a free man, and tells him without a single tell in sight. “I don't miss you that much just yet, Peter.”

It is his word against every instinct Peter's got but Neal doesn’t lie to Peter. He promised, once, like it means something, like it still means something even now. And the fact, the _problem_ , is that it does.

It means the world.

Especially now when Peter is standing at the entrance of the kind of restaurants the Neal Caffrey he used to know frequents and Peter thinks that might be Neal, in the flesh. It has been a long time since the ex-conman has been back in the vicinity of New York, having taken off for the world the day after he is free of the anklet. Perhaps he has gotten even better but Peter never found a lead as to what Neal's been up to, not even a clue as to the havoc he wrecked on the world.

Or maybe, Peter has every right to be hopeful.

The man with the trilby quirks his head back and there is a turn of his lips that might just be a Caffrey grin.

Peter can’t help but walk closer.

Because, just as it's always been, when Neal smiles like that, Peter can't shake the feeling that he's about to find out exactly what he's been missing from the start.

And this time, Peter can admit, he misses that.

 

XXX Kuro


End file.
